Lack of TPA Shackles US Trade Agenda, Says Former USTR Brock

The Obama administration should consider taking a “two-by-four” to Congress in order to power through Trade Promotion Authority, said former U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) William Brock at a National Foreign Trade Council event on May 28. The Office of the USTR likely will not float sensitive concessions to trade partners if any “nickel and dime” amendment could alter the agreement and derail implementation. “Our trade negotiators are going to be better at getting a good deal if they have a full deck,” said Brock. “You don’t have a full deck if you don’t have the authority to bring an agreement to Congress [that can be voted on] up or down without amendment.”

Many proponents of TPA, regarded as a mechanism to expedite passage of trade agreement implementation legislation, say without the law USTR will be unable to seal negotiations in the Trans-Pacific Partnership and Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. Trade partners are also reluctant to propose sensitive concessions without the law, say the proponents. The Obama administration should disregard the political risks at stake in order to secure the agreements, said Brock, who served as USTR chief from 1981-1985. During his tenure at USTR, Brock launched and concluded negotiations with Israel to secure the first U.S. free trade agreement (FTA). Brock said there are many free trade proponents on Capitol Hill that are resisting pressure to kill TPA and the FTA negotiations. “They are struggling to live in a system that is dysfunctional politically [like] I’ve never seen in my life,” said Brock.